The New Zealand Dairy farmers have failed to obey effluent rules for the second year in a row in the year 2009. The effluent rule compliance has worsened over the past one year.

The Clean Streams Accord results update shows that the standard level of significant non-compliance worsened to 15 per cent in 2008/09 from 12 per cent in the earlier year.

There were criticisms from the Agriculture Minister David Carter that this was "totally unacceptable".

"Until every farmer takes responsibility for improving effluent management, the environment and dairy's reputation will suffer," he said.

According to annual reports, Fonterra Cooperative Group has been asked to introduce regular farm checks. Gary Romano, Managing Director, Fonterra Trade and Operations, said that the company will offer twice the resources to farmers, so they can do manage their effluent in improved ways.

Fonterra's new program plans to conduct dairy checks every year as a part of its present evaluation system. The checks are said to be piloted in the Waikato by the beginning of 2010/2011.

Under Fonterra's new program, every farm's dairy effluent infrastructure will be checked each year as part of the existing Farm Dairy Assessment.